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South Korea’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to allow a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights foundation to legally register as a charity, ending three years of the foundation’s leaders facing discriminatory rejection from multiple government agencies. The judgment affirms South Korea’s obligations to respect freedom of assembly for all its citizens, Human Rights Watch said.

The foundation raises funds to support the LGBT rights movement in South Korea. It documents discrimination against LGBT people, advocates for their rights, and aims to make civic space safer for LGBT people and their families. Denying official registration to the foundation curtailed the group’s ability to receive tax-deductible donations and operate in full compliance with the law.

The registration system for nongovernmental groups in South Korea is decentralized, requiring groups to register with the most relevant agency. Since the rights of LGBT people do not fall clearly under any government agency’s specific mandate, the agencies were able to send the Beyond the Rainbow Foundation from one place to another. While nongovernmental groups that are already registered for other purposes can carry out projects on LGBT rights, only one cultural group that already had some LGBT projects has been able to register.